Warrior Genius

  Aaminah …

  But the tunnel had caved in. How had she reached him?

  With the music humming through Giacomo, Vrama’s thrashing soul began to relent. Giacomo felt control returning to his own body, but he feared the music’s paralyzing effects on Vrama would be only temporary. It would take both him and Aaminah to eliminate the Preta for good.

  First, he had to restore Mico’s power, but to do that, he needed the Straightedge.

  With his remaining strength, Giacomo extended his arm toward the Sacred Tool, but it was out of reach. Aaminah, whose hands were busy playing the tambur, kicked it into range. Giacomo’s fingers wrapped around the warm metal. He brought it closer, gripping it with both hands. The patterns burned brightly. At the same moment, the gem in Mico’s crown glowed, and the Genius fluttered back to life.

  Next, Giacomo needed to find a way to force Vrama out of his body.

  You have so much power inside you …

  Milena’s words came back to him in a flash of inspiration. Vrama couldn’t be destroyed by an outside force, but maybe by summoning the energy within himself, Giacomo could drive him out.

  Focusing on Aaminah’s music, Giacomo closed his eyes and steadied his mind, visualizing the Creator’s Pattern. He pictured the glowing outline of the cube coming out of the pattern and boxing in Vrama’s soul.

  Giacomo opened his eyes to find Mico’s red beam was trained on his chest, projecting the outline of a cube. To Giacomo’s surprise, the Creator’s Pattern briefly flashed across his body. Mico created a three-dimensional cube from the pattern, and as he pulled the shape out, Giacomo felt as if his skin were going to burst open.

  The cube hovered in the air between Giacomo and Mico now, and Giacomo could see Vrama’s soul trapped inside. The black tendril surged against the glowing square walls, trying to break free.

  The Straightedge’s energy coursed through Giacomo, giving him a newfound strength. He rose to his feet and raised the Tool over his head.

  “Leave this realm,” Giacomo said, relieved to find his voice had returned. “Be with Anuja.”

  He swung down hard at the cube, shattering the light and tearing Vrama’s soul into a thousand pieces. As the Preta met his end, a high-pitched screech ripped through the cavern and drowned out the music.

  Giacomo let out a giant exhale. “Aaminah … thank you…”

  But Aaminah didn’t respond. Giacomo turned to discover that she was sprawled on the ground, knocked out by the force of the blast. Luna lay on her chest, her wings quivering.

  Giacomo rushed to Aaminah and propped her up, checking for a heartbeat. She was still alive, and Giacomo saw her eyes flutter weakly. He looked around and noticed a second tunnel in the back of the cavern, opposite the one he had come through—that must’ve been how Aaminah had gotten to him. Giacomo dragged her over to the passageway, hoping it would lead back to their friends.

  Then the world began to shake. Lava seeped through the cracks in the walls. Within moments the cavern became a furnace. The noxious fumes stung Giacomo’s nostrils and made him dizzy.

  Jagged rocks broke from the ceiling and crashed around them. If Giacomo didn’t figure a way out quickly, he and Aaminah would be buried alive.

  27

  RETURN

  A warrior Preta rushed at Milena. She swiped her brush and drove a rectangular light shield at him, knocking her attacker backward. The Preta scrambled to his feet and came at her again.

  The Pretas’ onslaught had been relentless. The Rachanans were trapped in an endless battle with their lifeless counterparts, while Milena and Savino fought their way toward the Compass lying on the cavern floor.

  There was still no sign of Giacomo. Or Aaminah, either. After Giacomo had bolted down one of the tunnels and it caved in, Aaminah had become more and more worried until finally she’d left Milena’s side, shouting, “Luna can track down Mico!” Milena had called after her to stop, but Aaminah had already vanished into another passage.

  “Got it!” Savino shouted, and Milena whirled around to find him holding the Compass. But before he could make a portal, a Preta leaped from the fracas and charged.

  “Behind you!” Milena warned.

  Savino spun around, swinging the Compass like a sword. The warrior Preta caught it in mid-arc, and they grappled over it. Nero squawked and scratched at the Preta’s face to no effect.

  Though claws and weapons didn’t make a mark on the Pretas, sacred geometry could do a little damage. With a precise brushstroke, Milena triggered Gaia to launch a sliver of green that sliced the Preta’s hands, causing him to release the Compass.

  But he was only momentarily injured; in the next instant, the Preta overpowered Savino and hurled him through the air. Savino slammed into the ground and rolled toward the edge of the fissure. With Savino still hugging the Compass, Milena watched as her friend vanished over the cliff, his Genius swooping down after him with an urgent caw.

  “Savino!” Milena yelled, and furiously barraged the warrior Preta with light. He uttered a screech, then exploded into dust.

  Knowing he would soon return, Milena raced to the fissure and found Savino clinging to a rocky ledge with one hand and holding the Compass with the other. Below, lava bubbled. Nero squawked frantically and tugged on Savino’s collar.

  “Help!” Savino hollered.

  “You need both of your hands,” Milena called back. “Pass me the Compass!”

  Savino swung his arm, hoisting the Sacred Tool over his head. Milena leaned over the edge, grasped the Compass’s legs, and reeled it in.

  With both hands free, Savino grabbed the ledge and began to climb up, but he soon ran out of holds to grip. “I can’t make it any farther,” he cried.

  Milena went to help, but two bony hands seized her by the leg and dragged her away. Milena clung to the Compass but dropped her brush, which disappeared into the fissure. She looked behind her and groaned in frustration. The Preta she’d just vanquished had already re-formed and resumed his attack. She struggled against the warrior while Gaia stabbed him with her beak. The Preta batted Gaia away, and Milena felt her own head sting from the blow. Gaia screeched and crashed. The Preta pinned Milena to the ground with the Compass and pressed it to her throat, cutting off her air.

  Milena thrashed and gasped for breath, her mind turning foggy. In that moment, she thought of Pietro and all the times in her lessons when she’d made a mistake and he had been there to guide her. She imagined his weathered hand taking hers and leading her out of this nightmare. But suddenly, his image was replaced by another: Savino, dangling helplessly over the lava. If Milena died, he would die too. And she refused to let that happen.

  Summoning all her strength, Milena rolled, jostling the Preta off her just enough to drive a knee up into his swollen belly. The Preta groaned and reeled back.

  Milena knew he would come at her again. And again. She just had to get to Savino before his next assault. She glanced over her shoulder to see that the Preta was about to move in for the kill, but to her surprise, he turned away and staggered off, as if being led by an unseen force.

  All around the cave, the other Pretas were doing the same. Milena could see their leader, Samraat Jagesh, who had still been fighting his son. She watched as Jagesh’s tortured expression became still and he gave up his battle against Ajeet. Then his body broke apart into tiny specks of light. One by one, the Pretas’ forms separated into luminous swirls that wound together and drifted upward, then flickered away.

  Milena looked around the cavern, waiting for the Pretas to reappear. None returned. The Rachanans cheered, exhausted by their efforts.

  “Still down here!” a voice called.

  Savino!

  Milena called Ozo and Lavanthi over to help, and the three of them hoisted Savino out of the steaming fissure. “You’re all right!” She hugged him tightly, and the emotion she felt when holding him in her arms was intense, unlike anything she could remember. She told herself it was because he had been in serious dan
ger. But was that really the only reason?

  “Yeah … I’m fine,” Savino said, pulling away. He looked around the cavern. “What happened? Where did all the Pretas go?”

  “They disappeared,” Milena said with relief. “Giacomo must have vanquished Vrama.”

  “I heard Samraat Jagesh say they would all finally be at peace,” Yaday said.

  But before they had a chance to catch their breath, the caldera rumbled. Chunks of rock crashed around them, and the tunnels started caving in.

  Ajeet pointed to Milena. “Get us to the surface! Now!”

  Milena glanced back at the tunnels where Giacomo and Aaminah had vanished. “What about our friends?”

  “If Giacomo defeated Vrama, they’re probably already on their way out,” Ajeet assured her.

  Milena wasn’t so confident, but there wasn’t time to argue. With the world shaking and booming, she brought to mind the caldera’s rocky rim, then she raised the Compass and spun open a portal. Ajeet ushered his warriors, Ozo, and Yaday, through, then disappeared into the light. Looking around for Giacomo and Aaminah one final time, Milena, Savino, and their Geniuses dove in after the Rachanans.

  Milena spilled out of the portal, ran to the edge of the caldera, and looked down into it. The earth had cracked, and lava was bubbling out of it. Steaming molten rock began filling the caldera’s bowl. She shook her head, refusing to believe the sight before her.

  Please … help them find a way out, she prayed.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by an explosion on the far side of the caldera. Milena turned toward the sound, assuming more of the caldera had collapsed. Instead, a red beam cut through the sky, dust and smoke billowing around its base.

  “Mico’s light! That has to be Giacomo!” Milena shouted.

  Yaday and Ajeet climbed onto the elephant and lumbered away down the slope. Savino, Milena, and the warriors all mounted their horses and galloped toward the distant light.

  By the time they reached the site of the explosion, the sun had set and the dust was beginning to clear. Giacomo staggered through the haze with Aaminah propped against him, her arm slung over his shoulders. The Straightedge hung in the crook of his arm.

  Milena gasped. “He found it! They’re all right!”

  As her horse slowed to a trot, Milena jumped from its saddle and raced to Giacomo. Upon her arrival, Giacomo fell to his knees, letting Aaminah spill into Milena’s arms.

  “Aaminah…?”

  Aaminah let out a faint, wheezing exhale, and Milena realized her relief had been premature.

  Milena looked at Giacomo. “What happened to her?”

  “I’m not sure…” Giacomo coughed and gasped for air. “She helped me stop Vrama. Then I used the Straightedge to destroy him. Maybe she got hit with the blast.”

  Milena felt a hand on her shoulder. Savino leaned in and touched Aaminah’s cheek. “Where’s Luna?”

  Giacomo held out a ball of purple and orange feathers in his cupped hand. Luna stirred and let out a faint chirp. “She can’t fly.”

  The other warriors gathered around. “How were you able to escape?” Ajeet asked.

  “I had to use the Straightedge to blast our way out,” Giacomo explained.

  With a panicked look on his face, Yaday hurried over. Aaminah was unresponsive, her head lolling against Milena’s chest. He peeled back the collar of Aaminah’s torn tunic, revealing a dark bruise near her shoulder. The bruise moved. It looked like a worm had burrowed into Aaminah and was squirming underneath her skin. Milena shuddered. “What is that?”

  “I fear that when Giacomo destroyed Vrama, part of his soul entered her,” Yaday said.

  “What?” Giacomo said. “No … I didn’t mean—”

  “It’s not your fault,” Yaday said. “Vrama is trying to cling to this world with every last shred of his being.”

  “Get it out!” Milena pleaded.

  “Not here. It’s too dangerous. We need to get her back to the palace, where the healers and I can tend to her.” Yaday whistled, and Padma’s trunk wound toward Aaminah.

  Milena held tight to her friend, refusing to let her go.

  “I’m sorry,” Yaday said. “It should have been me helping Giacomo put an end to Vrama, not Aaminah.”

  Milena loosened her grip as Padma’s trunk wrapped around Aaminah and hoisted her gently into the howdah.

  “She’s going to be all right,” Savino said, putting an arm around Milena. “Aaminah’s tougher than both of us combined.”

  “I know.” She gulped in air and squeezed Savino’s hand in thanks, trying to hide her tears.

  Savino pulled his hand back, like he’d realized he had lingered too long. Or regretted it. Milena found herself wishing he had hung on a little longer.

  * * *

  Savino opened a portal, and Giacomo followed him into the light.

  They emerged at the palace steps, where the stars sparkled in the cloudless night. Giacomo took in lungfuls of the fresh air, cleansing himself of the caldera’s poisonous fumes and Vrama’s polluted soul.

  As soon as the elephant squeezed through, Yaday was already calling for guards to hurry to take Aaminah from the howdah and straight to the healers. Milena climbed down after them, cheeks damp with tears. She met Giacomo with a dark look. It could have been because of how upset she was, though Giacomo suspected she blamed him for what had happened to their friend.

  Aaminah will be all right, Giacomo told himself. She has to be.

  Once Aaminah was in the palace, Ajeet pulled Giacomo aside. “Now that you have the Straightedge, I need to take you to Kavi.”

  A short time later, Giacomo arrived at the stables, where the samraat’s horse-Genius, along with dozens of others, tiredly trotted out onto the grassy field.

  Gazing into Kavi’s large, glassy eyes, Giacomo saw his own reflection staring back, looking unsure.

  “Are you ready?” Ajeet asked.

  Giacomo ran his fingers over the Straightedge’s intricate, embossed patterns. “I … I don’t know if I should do this. What if Vrama corrupted the Tool somehow?” It had been one thing to restore Mico to power, since they shared a connection. He didn’t have the same bond with Rachana’s Geniuses. They weren’t even birds. “What if something goes wrong and I make things worse?”

  “You won’t.” Milena came over, and to Giacomo’s surprise, she gave him a hug. “You can do this.”

  “But after what happened to Aaminah…”

  “That wasn’t your fault. She wanted to help you,” Milena said. “She believes in you so much. I do too.”

  Giacomo hugged her back, heartened by her support.

  Yaday approached. “Your intention influences how the Straightedge’s power manifests. If you keep your mind clear and your thoughts positive, you’ll be able to heal Kavi and the other Geniuses. Come, I’ll lead you in a meditation.”

  Giacomo sat on the grass with Yaday and concentrated on removing any self-doubt or hesitation. Then, once Giacomo’s mind felt light and calm, he rose to his feet and arced his pencil in Kavi’s direction. As Mico cast a brilliant beam that connected to Kavi’s gem, Ajeet and the warriors waited with anticipation.

  Slowly but surely, the Genius’s stone lit up with a silver glow. Soon Kavi’s wings sprouted a coat of white feathers, and his body filled out. He stamped the dirt and whinnied. With his newfound strength, Kavi cast out his own glowing tendrils, which connected to the gems of the other horse-Geniuses, creating a sparkling web of light. One by one, the Geniuses returned to health and stretched their wings.

  Ajeet smiled and patted Kavi’s sturdy frame. Lavanthi hugged her Genius’s neck. The warriors whooped with joy and mounted their Geniuses. They all took to the skies, soaring over the palace with a chorus of joyful neighs.

  From every corner of the fortress, guards, servants, workers, and artisans emerged, cheering the revival of the Rachanan Geniuses. Kavi swooped down and landed with a triumphant whoosh. With a flourish of his wings, he trotted before the suppo
rtive crowd, Ajeet waving from atop his back.

  Giacomo caught sight of Lavanthi and Ozo hurtling through the sky on her black-winged Genius. Lavanthi turned to the mercenary and leaned in for a kiss. Giacomo smiled to himself, hoping this meant the mercenary had finally found some happiness.

  Savino clapped Giacomo on the back. “Nicely done.”

  Milena came to Giacomo’s side, her Genius on her shoulder. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it, Gaia?”

  Giacomo glanced at Mico darting excitedly around him and imagined a day in the future when he would be able to soar across the sky on his Genius.

  Yaday turned to Giacomo. “I should have been there to help you face Vrama. I’m sorry. I feel like I let you down.”

  “You didn’t,” Giacomo replied. “Without your guidance, I wouldn’t have been able to silence Vrama and cast him out of me.” Then he turned to Milena, who looked a little forlorn. “What you taught me saved me too.”

  “It did?” Milena said, perking up.

  “I’m realizing that sacred geometry is physical and mental,” Giacomo said. “I had to use both methods to survive.”

  “We should go check on Aaminah,” Milena said. Savino slung the Compass over his shoulder, and they started off for the palace, but Kavi trotted in front of them, blocking their path.

  “I’m going to need the Sacred Tools now,” Ajeet said, rearing over them.

  “What?” Giacomo said. “No, I kept up my end of the deal.”

  “I knew we couldn’t trust you!” Savino shouted. “We all almost died to save your Geniuses!”

  “You misunderstand,” Ajeet said. “The Tools are yours, but I need them for a little while longer. I must travel to the other cities in Rachana and restore power to the rest of the horse-Geniuses.”

  Giacomo felt foolish for mistrusting the samraat. Naturally, other horse-Geniuses would still be in need. He handed the Straightedge to Ajeet.

  “Thank you,” Ajeet said, then turned to Savino, who reluctantly passed over the Compass.

  Ajeet asked Giacomo, Milena, and Savino to join him. “I’m sure my people would love to meet the children who helped save their Geniuses.”